Hola a todos!!
So sorry I could not update last
week!! But first off, thanks mom, brandy, and grandma for the packages! I
absolutely loved them!! Got them all on Friday so it was a little late
Christmas joy :)
So I hope everyone's christmas was
wonderful! I thought we might get a white christmas here when it cooled ALL THE
WAY DOWN to 88 degrees ;) But alas, no snow was seen. However, Christmas was
just grand here! Here, Christmas eve or noche buena is wayyyy bigger than
Christmas day. Especially the noche buena dinner... it's humonginormous!! I'm
pretty sure i'm still full from the one we had at a member's house, and i'll
probably still be full until the next christmas haha.
But, Christmas day was wonderful
as well. We taught a lesson to Nayelin (She's 10, Sonia is her grandma, and her
mom who was a member passed away) well in the lesson she said "When can I
get baptized?! I'm getting desperate here!"She's so sweet and reminds me a
lot of my little sister Danni. Well we gotta wait to give her a baptismal date
until Sonia gets one which should be this week! :) But we taught her lesson 1
and wow.. teaching about how our savior, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith
with our Heavenly Father... it was just incredible. I know Jesus lived and died
for us, but even more so, he lives for us. He truly did appear and restore his
church on the earth because of his infinite love for each of us. There was
something really beautiful about testifying of that on Christmas.
Angel is also doing great! We are
pushing his date back so that he feels more ready. He's really working on his
Word of wisdom addictions which is just wonderful to see him changing. He comes
to church, on time, every week! He is great and we are praying for a baptism
for him before Hermana Fletcher finishes her mission. But, when we taught him
the Word of Wisdom he was nervous but said really firmly "Can I just tell
you something? I had a dream I was fighting with the devil and I pushed him
down and I said I BEAT YOU!!"
Needless to say he's really
hopeful and so are we to kick these addictions right out the door! :)
So Smith and Kevin. They are a
hoot. Not only did they drop in on my Skype call to my family (they claim just
to say hi to my family but they haven't stopped talking about Calli or Jessi
since). In the middle of one of our lessons Smith asked, "Did we come from
monkeys?" And so our lesson turned into a whole of 1 Nephi 13:22 and
explaining we don't know how God works. They were satisfied and then Kevin
said, "Well I don't know if we all came from monkeys, but I know one
did" (pointing to Smith). These boys. But Kevin said he really wants to
get baptized!! When they are younger than 18 they have to wait three months
unless they get bishop permission, so we are helping him get that permission!
yay!
Well I don't have much else to
update on, so I'll share some of my thoughts from my first 3 months in the
mission.
I don't know why but I feel really
strongly I should share what has been my strength and comfort. Well first and
foremost, being a missionary is wonderful. I love it!! However, there are
really really really hard times. But, I have been reading in Deuteronomy
chapter 2, verse 7: "These forty years (3 months) the lord thy god hath
been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing”. I have truly had the hardest
moments in my entire life. Sometimes I'm tempted to think of what I'm lacking
(family, Harry potter movies, chick fil a..) but like this scripture says- The
lord hath truly been with me', so I really haven't lacked anything!!
I've never needed him more and
I've never felt him more. I've never felt more driven to my knees or a more
fervent desire to pour out my whole soul to the Almighty being who not only
created me but is creating me. But I have truly found strength from the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. I often think of this quote from Elder Holland:
"I am convinced missionary
work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. How could it be
easy for us if it was never, ever easy for Him? If he could come forward in the
night, kneel down, fall on his face, bleed from every pore, and cry äbba,
father (papa), if this cup pass, let it pass then Little wonder that salvation
is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn't an easier
way, you should remember you aren't the first one to ask that. Someone a lot
greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn't an easier way.
When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you a spit upon and cast out and
made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has
ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived... The living Son of the
Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to
eternity is through Him, the way, the truth and life".
My Friends and family,
This is so not easy.
But,
This is so worth it.
With love,
Hermana Schmidt
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| In their apartment |
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| A YSA gave her this tie from her ward, she has the funniest frown |
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| At least she is eating |
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| I have not received an explanation on this photo |
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| Injury from walking on her hands in the wrong place |
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| Roomies |
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| View at the Beach |
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| with Hermana Fletcher |
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| Name tags |
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| with Hermana Fletcher |
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| Cool editing feature |
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| Pillowcase we sent her |
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| Pj's I sent her |
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| other gifts |
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| Roommates |
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| DR Skies |
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| She wanted us to see all of the wires everywhere, I only noticed the clothes drying everywhere |
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| How they get clean water |
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| At a regional meeting |
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| Ocean |
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| Just her tag |
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| Ocean |
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| Ocean |
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| Ocean |
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| Packages received |
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